Murcian Style Vegetable Paella Recipes

VEGETABLE PAELLA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Core the tomatoes, cut into wedges and place in a medium bowl; season with salt, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and toss. Set aside.
• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet or a paella pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, paprika, cayenne and saffron and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.
• Add the fennel wedges and cook until lightly browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip the fennel and add the baby artichokes and eggplant to the skillet; cook until slightly tender, about 4 more minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by about one-third. Stir in the rice and 1 3/4 teaspoons salt; add just enough water to cover the rice completely, 2 1/2 to 3 cups. Increase the heat to high and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Scatter the haricots verts and 2 tablespoons capers over the rice. Remove the pan from the heat and arrange the tomatoes on top; drizzle with any tomato juices.
• Transfer the paella to the oven and bake, undisturbed, for 20 minutes. Scatter the remaining 2 tablespoons capers and the piquillo peppers over the paella. Turn off the oven but leave the paella inside to continue cooking until the rice is tender, 15 to 20 more minutes. Garnish with parsley, if desired

VEGETABLE PAELLA

Steps:

• Arrange your oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, making sure that you have ample space between the two racks for your Dutch oven. You're going to need a large Dutch oven (preferably 6 quarts/11-to-12" in diameter or bigger, although I got by with my 5.5-quart Le Creuset) or a large skillet with a snug-fitting lid (both must be oven-safe!).
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in your Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until the mixture begins to darken and thicken slightly, about 2 minutes Stir in the rice and cook until the grains are well coated with tomato mixture, about 1 minute. Stir in the chickpeas, broth, wine, saffron (if using) and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cover the pot and transfer it to the lower rack in the oven. Bake, undisturbed, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 50 to 55 minutes.
• Meanwhile, line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. On the baking sheet, combine the artichoke, peppers, chopped olives, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and about 10 twists of freshly ground black pepper. Toss to combine, then spread the contents evenly across the pan.
• Roast the vegetables on the upper rack until the artichokes and peppers are tender and browned around the edges, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the vegetables cool for a few minutes. Add 1/4 cup parsley to the pan and the lemon juice, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
• For optional socarrat (crispy bottom-beware that you might have to scrub burnt bits from your pot later if you do this): Uncover the pot of baked rice, transfer it to the stovetop and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, rotating the pot as needed, until the bottom layer of rice is well browned and crisp.
• Socarrat or not, sprinkle the peas and roasted vegetables over the baked rice, cover, and let the paella sit for 5 minutes. Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley (about 1 tablespoon) and serve in individual bowls, with lemon wedges on the side.

VEGETABLE PAELLA

Steps:

• Heat 3 cups water in a saucepan over high heat until steaming; reduce the heat to low and cover to keep hot. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a paella pan or very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
• Add 2 more tablespoons olive oil to the skillet. Add the mushrooms in an even layer and season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring, until browned and tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the scallion whites, garlic and paprika; stir until the paprika is toasted, 30 seconds. Stir in the wine and cook until the pan is almost dry, about 1 minute. Add 3 cups hot water, the cauliflower, rice, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Stir once to distribute the ingredients but don?t stir again. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low; cover with a lid or foil and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 14 minutes.
• Uncover and arrange the roasted pepper and olives on top. Increase the heat to medium to crisp the bottom, moving the pan for even browning, about 1 more minute. Top with the parsley and scallion greens.

MURCIAN STYLE VEGETABLE PAELLA

Steps:

• Dice the mushrooms into bite size pieces and sear in the hot olive oil.
• Remove with a slotted spoon (keeping the oil in the pan) and reserve.
• In the same oil, fry the cloves of whole garlic until tender.
• Remove the cloves of garlic and mash in a mortar and pestle with the parsley and saffron too.
• Add the vegetables to the pan and sauté in the hot olive oil for two minutes.
• Add the garlic paste and the mushrooms (with any juices that came out) back to the pan.
• Add one cup of stock and let everything simmer at a low heat for 20 minutes.
• Add the two cup of rice and four cups of stock to the pan.
• Give everything a stir and bring the mixture to a boil.
• As soon as the liquid starts to boil, lower the heat to low and let it cook for 15-20 minutes -- don't stir during this time!
• When the rice is al dente and the liquid is absorbed, you're ready to eat!
• To get the beloved "socarrat" (the caramelized, lightly burnt crust on the bottom of the paella pan) put a kitchen towel over the finished rice and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then remove the towel and put the paella back on the heat on high. Any liquid at the bottom of the pan will start to evaporate, and when you start to hear a sizzle (in Spain we say it sounds like rain) let it caramelize for about 30 seconds (it should not smell burnt). Remove and serve immediately.

VEGETABLE PAELLA

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a 10-inch saute pan with a lid. Add the onion and celery and saute until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cherry tomatoes and salt and cook an additional 6 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to break down. Add the radishes and saute another 2 minutes. Add the vermouth and allow it to reduce by half. Add the chicken broth and then the saffron, rubbing it between your fingers to crumble a bit. Bring to a simmer and stir in the rice and the green beans. Simmer over medium-high heat, uncovered, for 5 minutes without disturbing. Scatter the red peppers and peas over the top and gently press them into the rice mixture; do not stir. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 7 minutes. Uncover, raise the heat to high and cook for 3 minutes more, to make sure all the liquid is evaporated and to help develop a crust on the bottom. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the smoked paprika and the parsley and serve.

VEGETABLE PAELLA

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in small saucepan. Add saffron, cover and remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion and sauté until onion is golden, about 8 minutes. Add artichokes and garlic and sauté 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add rice and stir to coat with oil. Add chicken stock, escarole and tomatoes and bring to boil, stirring frequently. Add saffron water, paprika and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 15 minutes. Mix beans and peas into rice, cover and continue cooking mixture until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat. Let stand 5 minutes and serve.